Many contemporary dishwashers for use in a typical household include a wash tub for storing utensils during a wash cycle in which the stored utensils are cleaned. A dispensing system may be provided for dispensing a treating chemistry as part of the cycle of operation. A controller may be operably connected with the dispensing system and various other components of the dishwasher to execute the cycle of operation. The cycle of operation may be selected manually by the user or automatically based on one or more conditions determined by the controller. A pump may be provided to distribute liquid in the tub. A foreign object protector may be provided to protect the pump from objects that might harm the pump.